~Other | deconversion

Posts filed under ‘~Other’

Rover recently posted a couple questions for us that I thought I would highlight.

“I have been on this site for several weeks now and the views shared here have challenged me greatly. I was wondering if some of the de-cons might answer a couple questions?

There are Christians like myself who claim that the universe is finely tuned and shows evidence of being created by God. I have read many arguments refuting this claim, but what have you found to be the best one and most irrefutable?
How can atheism truly support the evolution of sacrificial love? Dawkins arguments on this subject seem inadequate. Do you have any others?

August 3, 2008 at 4:28 pm deconversion 115 comments

Featured Blog Reaction: by Flirting with Faith

A new blogger, Joan Ball, from the “Flirting with Faith” blog, recently found herself “in the land of Christian de-conversion.”

According to Joan’s testimony, she “woke up one morning a churchgoing agnostic (following years of rabid atheism) and put [her] head to the pillow that night a newly minted, highly unlikely Christian.” Of course, she was recently told by an atheist that because she converted, she was never a “real” atheist.

Here’s her reaction to our humble blog:

Now de-conversion may be a hot topic in Bible-college circles, but I wasn’t even sure if it was a real word. Webster’s online says that it’s not, but the folks that are contributing and commenting at http://de-conversion.com use it frequently.

She continues:

I am sure that there is much to be said theologically about whether or not “de-conversion” is possible if a person had a genuine experience with Jesus, and I am not remotely studied enough to go there, but as I read the posts of dozens of self-proclaimed “former believers” I saw a pattern emerge: …

Continue Reading August 1, 2008 at 8:37 pm deconversion 27 comments

Are de-converts open to re-converting?

Recently, Rachel posed this question on her post “A Curious Christian with A Few Questions for de-cons“:

Are de-cons open to returning to the faith or is that impossible?

Here are a few of the responses from d-C contributors and readers:

I try to remain open to returning to my old faith, but am seeing less and less possibility as time goes on and searches prove unfruitful.
– Quester

I’m open to learning new things and changing my mind. However, after studying and seeking for over 40 years, I really doubt that I will suddenly discover that God is real. – writerdd

Sort of like asking Christians if they are open to new religions, is it not? Only in this case we are people who have at least admitted that we are capable of changing our minds on the subject. The problem is that this question implies that this was a conscious decision on our parts. For myself, and most here, it isn’t. If the evidence in support of whatever version of Christianity is strong enough, I am sure I would accept it – as a former apologeticist, I have only found that it fails in every historical and philosophical aspect known to myself. – TheApostate…

Continue Reading July 5, 2008 at 11:59 pm The de-Convert 42 comments

Forum Feature: What triggered investigating my doubts

For my whole life I have shoved my doubts about God’s existence to the back of my mind. There wasn’t a reason to drag them out and investigate them. In fact, there was more reason to keep them shoved to the back. It is much easier to be like everybody else. I wanted to be a Christian and to be on the same page with my husband and family. I love my husband and want to make him happy. Belief in God is what we’ve based our marriage, family and our entire lives on.

Then my 24 yr. old daughter fell in love with an atheist. I love my children more than anything. I want the best for them. My daughter has had her share of downers in her young life. Chronic illness, depression, numerous failures, disappointment in people and especially in boyfriends. This man is everything she has wanted. He is kind, responsible, honest, hard working, treats her wonderfully, encourages her to be her best, and really loves her. We’ve always told our children that the most important thing when looking for a mate is to be sure they are a Christian. The funny thing is that he has better values than most Christian guys she has dated.

At first, my reaction was terror. I live in the South where admitted atheists are a scary oddity. What to do…Should I call all our Christian friends and have a prayer vigil asking God to take this infidel out of my daughter’s life? Do I beg her to break up with him? Do I fear for her soul? Do I grieve for her? Surprisingly, I felt happy and excited for her. What was wrong with me? How could I be happy for her? …

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June 30, 2008 at 12:01 am deconversion

7 Reasons why Christians de-convert

Kieran Bennett recently completed his series on why Christians de-convert. To answer this question, he considered 94 of the 117 de-conversion stories he read on one of the largest archives of de-conversion stories on the internet.

Here is what he found:

Dissatisfaction with the answers to simple questions proffered by the religion was the most common reason cited for de-conversion amongst the sample (14.89%).
The realisation that religious dogma contradicted observable reality was ~~the second most~~ an equally common reason for de-conversion cited within the sample (also at 14.89%).
12.76% of the de-converted Christians in the sample spoke about realising the contradictions within the dogma itself.
For 10.63% of people in the sample, reading the bible was significant in ending their faith.
Only 8.51% of people in the sample attributed their de-conversion to the hypocrisy of the church.
In another 8.51% of the de-conversion stories, people tried to speak to god and they now credit god’s lack of an answer for their de-conversion
And finally, stumbling across the realisation that many religions were just like theirs caused deep doubts for 8.5% of the sample he read…